Let's Talk About Your Bad Habits

Something that you may ask yourself from time to time is if your bad habit is as harmless as you think it is. Perhaps you like to unwind after work with a glass of wine. Or maybe you occasionally vape when you are out with your friends. Maybe stuffing a bar of chocolate in your mouth for breakfast is your bad habit. Whatever is it, when should you start to worry about it?

Most of the human race will have some bad habit or another. These can stem from biting your nails to scuffing your shoes as you walk. Some habits are just a quirky little part of your personality which makes you unique. Indeed, these should be embraced because, in reality, they aren’t doing you any harm. It is the habits that we have which are causing damage we need to be concerned about and, more importantly, honest about.

Do you think you are honest about your habits? Let’s go back to that glass of wine. Most adults enjoy a drink to help them unwind on the weekend or at the end of the day. However, a habit is where you go for the wine even when you don’t need it. If you can stop yourself and laugh about it, then it is purely a habit and nothing to worry about. However, if you put the glass down, then become irritable and anxious. You may have an addiction.

You may laugh at this. Is it only a couple of glasses, right? You aren’t an alcoholic or anything. But then how can you define alcoholism. Surely it is a dependency on alcohol. There is no pre-defined limit on how much you need to drink to call yourself an alcoholic. It is all based on how often you drink and why you drink. If you need that glass to help you function.

Worried about it now? Well, don’t be too worried. You aren’t at the stage where you need to head off to your nearest rehabilitation centre. However, you might want to think about your relationship with alcohol seriously.

Perhaps start by agreeing with yourself you will have some days where you don’t drink at all. Replace that glass of wine with something else, maybe an evening walk or an early bath. Wean yourself off it slowly as you have developed a relationship and going cold turkey might not work for you.

The aim should be to only drink on the weekends or if you are out for a special occasion. Something like a midweek dinner or lunch with your friends. You aren’t trying to quit drinking; you are merely getting on top of a habit which has got out of hand.

Apply this to the other areas of your life where you might have formed habits which are bad for yourself. Look at how seriously you are affected if you can’t enjoy you evening vape or your morning chocolate. Then, if you are still worried, seek some help and support to get you back on the right track.

Bad habits can be just as harmful as addiction. So stay on top of yours.